Friday movie roundup – June 18

“Toy Story 3” is easily the best movie of the year so far. That isn’t saying much, given what a mediocre year it’s been, but still. Even in a good year it would have to be in the top 10. I look forward to everyone seeing it so that we can talk about certain scenes and say, “HOLY COW, CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY TRIED THAT?? AND PULLED IT OFF??,” and probably weep a little.

In limited release is the terrific “Cyrus” (review at Cinematical), starring John C. Reilly as a man at odds with his girlfriend’s weird son (played by Jonah Hill). There’s also “Trash Humpers” (review at Cinematical), which I’m not even sure is actually a movie.

At Film.com, “Eric’s Bad Movies” is about Steven Seagal’s “Under Siege 2: Electric Boogaloo.” Funny thing about that. I originally planned to do “Wild Wild West,” on account of it seemed a perfect fit with “Jonah Hex.” But when I sat down to watch it last weekend, I discovered it wasn’t particularly bad. I wouldn’t call it “good,” sure, but 45 minutes into I had laughed at a few of the gags, I was generally interested in the silly story, and I liked Kenneth Branagh’s insane Confederate no-legged villain. I finally had to turn it off and choose something else. When it comes to “Eric’s Bad Movies,” I don’t have time for movies that are merely so-so!

It’s a shame, too, because it would have been really, really perfect in conjunction with “Jonah Hex.” They have about a dozen major things in common.

But “Under Siege 2” also meshes with “Jonah Hex”! In both cases, the villain faked his own death and then reappears on a train, and subsequently has a plan to destroy Washington D.C. with a weapon of mass destruction that doesn’t actually exist in the relevant time period. Serendipity!

“What’s the Big Deal?” is about “The Graduate,” that movie with the cougar lady who makes sexytimes with Dustin Hoffman, if you can imagine.
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